At our independent, we pay $175 a month. That includes the group lesson (every monday) for two, and four private lessons. We've scheduled those for every Wednesday.

We were actually "cast-offs"- we learned too slow and bungled too much, so our current instructor kind of had us pushed off on her. I'm so glad that happened. I love the other instructors at the studio, but I feel we've really grown and learned under this lady's tutelage. We spend more time dancing and less time being lectured. Our problematic areas are addressed and corrected in a professional, friendly manner, and when we're discouraged, we're reminded that EVERYONE started somewhere.

I haven't attended any of the AMs around our area (but then, we'd have to drive fairly far, too, to do so), but any time we call or email them to ask the simple question "Do you have any new-comer, out-of-towner friendly socials for us to attend?", we either receive no answer, or hear the standard reply "What level are you?"... and that's off-putting. Dance parties should be about dancing and trying out what you've learned. How can you do that if you're "segregated" from being able to so much as WATCH either advanced or more rudimentary dancers? THAT is the only thing I don't like about Arthur Murray. Too exclusivist. Dancing is for everyone. When someone asks someone to dance, all one has to say is "Now... I'm a beginner- there are some things that haven't been shown to me yet, is that ok?"... and you either go dance, or you wait that one out.

If it's to protect your "good" dancers at the studio from "dumb newbies", think of this: If your advanced dancers are so good, why can't they exercise a little traffic control? Are they above honing their floorcraft?

I've seen fewer bumps and oopses among beginners because at least beginners CARE whether or not they injure someone. The advanced dancers (archetypically, at least) are more worried on showing off, or working on their own elements, and not looking around them to see who's coming.

The only forgivable collision on the dance floor is two leads back-to-back.

Perhaps Arthur Murray should teach that, instead of "This dance is for silver dancers only. If you don't know what you're doing, get off the floor NOW!", which is exactly what I heard at a studio near us. It wasn't an AM, but it was run by former AM instructors.